pat loughery

We are starting a series of discussions on the Christian season of Advent tomorrow morning. (We formally wrapped up the Gospel of Matthew last week, after finishing chapter 13).

I found good resources on Advent background here at Christian Resource Institute. It appears that there is no standard set of focuses for each week (I thought that there were). What we found in that article was this list:

Week: Focus
1: Hope/Expectation/Prophecy
2: Bethlehem/Peace/John the Bapt/Anunciation
3: {Pink/Rose} Joy/Shepherds/Magi/Proclamation
4: Angels/Love/Fulfillment

I chose for this year to use Hope; Peace; Joy; Love; then week 5 as Fulfillment.

We are doing a bulletin insert describing the season and giving people some suggested Scripture reading to consider over the next month. Here is the current list:
Week 1 of Advent
Topic: Hope
Recommended Scriptures
Psalm 25
Psalm 33
Psalm 42
Psalm 130
Jeremiah 29:11-13
Jeremiah 31:31-34
1 Corinthians 11:21-26

Week 2 of Advent
Topic: Peace
Recommended Scriptures:
Psalm 29 Psalm 37 Psalm 85 Psalm 122
Isaiah 55
Micah 5:4-5 (5A only)
Matthew 3
Matthew 5:9
Romans 15:13

Week 3 of Advent
Topic: Joy
Recommended Scriptures:
Psalm 4 Psalm 28 Psalm 43 Psalm 47 Psalm 67 Psalm 100
Isaiah 35
Luke 1
Matthew 28:1-8
Romans 15:13

Week 4 of Advent
Topic: Love
Recommended Scriptures:
Exodus 34:4-7 (7a only)
Psalm 13 Psalm 23 Psalm 26 Psalm 31 Psalm 33 Psalm 40
Isaiah 55
John 3:1-21 and esp v16-17
Matthew 5:43-48
Mark 12:28-34
1 Corinthians 13
1 John 3

Christmas
Topic: Fulfillment
Recommended Scriptures:
Luke 1-2
Matthew 1-2
John 19:30